Truck



(No Model.)

E.' SHANKS.

TRUCK.

No. 400.012. Patented Mar; 10, 1889.

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INITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMMETT SI'IANKS, OF HUNTINGTON, INDIANA.

' TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.400,012, dated March 19, 1889.

I Application filed September 6, 1833. Serial No. 284,739. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EMMETT SHANKS,a citizen of the United States, residing at Huntington, in the'county of Huntington and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Trucks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in trucks; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter de scribed and claimed.

The object of my invention is to provide a strong, durable, and convenient truck for transporting heavy bodies on even as well as inclined surfaces, and one which will be so arranged and constructed that it may be easily and readily handled. I attain this object by the truck illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like letters of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a bottom plan view, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

In the drawings, A represents the side of the truck, formed with upwardly-in clined ends B. The under side of the sides A have recesses a formed therein, in which are journaled rollers or wheels 0. The sides A are united near their ends by cross-pieces D, and are braced and securely held in place by tierods D. The extreme ends of the sides A are extended beyond the cross-pieces D, and have metallic plates E firmly secured thereon, in which are formed bearin s for shafts which support and carry rollers F. These rollers F are one of the essential features of my invention. They project below the tapered ends B, and form supports for the truck when it is tilted up, and also form handles for manipulating the truck.

G represents an upright having a vertical inner face and inclined bracket or braces G on its outer face, which rest on the upper sides of the sides A. This upright G is rigidly secured in place, and serves as a brace against which the article carried abuts. On the opposite end of the truck I place an upright or 'braee, H, somewhat similar in construction to the upright G, but movably secured on the sides, instead of rigidly held in place. To secure this upright H in place so that it may be moved backward and forward, depressions Z) are made in the under side of the inclined portion of the sides A, and eltmgated slots 11 are formed in the sides, which extend from the bottom of the depressions to the outer side of the sides. These slots are of sufficient length to allow a movement of the screws or bolts I therein. The upright II has an outward extension, ll, and inclined braces H and is prevented from lateral displacement by having channels formed longitudinally in the bottom thereof and extension H, in which work upwardly-extending splines or flanges h, secured rigidly to the sides A. ()n the under side of the extension ll is secured a metallic plate, K, having a downwardly-extend ng end, 7., which has a screw-threaded aperture formed in its center. The screws or bolts I are rigidly secured in the extension H, and have enlarged heads, which prevent their being withdrawn from the slots 1) in which they are placed. By this construction it will be seen that the upright may be easily moved back and forth to admit of differentsized articles, and owing to its adjustability the object to be transported-a piano, for instance-may be tightly held on the truck by forcing the upright snugly againstthe end thereof.

To readily adjust the upright H and retain it in its adjusted position, I employ a screw, L, which passes through the cross-piece D and is secured and held in place by a collar or plate, Z, attached to the rear of the crosspiece. The screw also passes through the threaded aperture in the plate K, the'threads thereof meshing with those on the screw.

On the outer end of the screw L is rigidly secured a ratchet-wheel, m, and on the extreme end next to the ratchet-wheel is pivoted a lever, n, having. a pawl, 12, which engages with the ratchetrwheel. This pawl is made reversible, so as to be turned on its pivot and engage the teeth of the ratchet- Wheel on either side, the said teeth being constructed substantially straight or vertical, so as to afford a bearing for the end of the pawl on either side thereof. By working the lever the screw is turned, thereby forcing the plate backward or forward, as the case may be.

By constructing the ends B inclined it will be seen that in ascending inclined surfaces the weigh i. of the truck and the article thereon is thrown on the end and supported by the end rollers on the bottom and the large roller on the end, thus saving a great amount of labor and strain on the part of the operator.

Having thus deseribed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the sides and the upright ll, of the screw L, having its end secured, and a pawl and ratchet secured to its opposite end, and :i plate secured to said upright, through. which said serew passes, substantially as described. 

